


Operation: Love on the Brain

by KieraKay



Category: On My Block (TV)
Genre: Alternate Universe, Drama, F/M, Humor, Mild Language, Sexual Content, Slow Burn
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-04-07
Updated: 2020-10-08
Packaged: 2021-03-01 17:06:57
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 3
Words: 6,671
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/23520538
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/KieraKay/pseuds/KieraKay
Summary: [Post-Season 3 — AU] Their night ended in crushing metal and shattering glass. Now Oscar is once again left with the fallout. Overwhelmed, he reluctantly enlists his brother's friends for help, while he deals with the aftermath of his own shit.
Relationships: Cesar Diaz/Monse Finnie, Oscar "Spooky" Diaz/Original Female Character(s)
Comments: 6
Kudos: 27





	1. Chapter Zero

Disclaimer: I do not own the On My Block series or any of the characters from it. I do, however, own the plot and characters you don't recognize.

* * *

From her chair facing the front door, Teal gripped her auntie's shotgun between her hands, clutching it so hard she thought her fingers were going to be permanently curled. 

She was supposed to be long gone by now. On a train to San Diego. But she couldn't do it, too fearful of what may have happened to them. She wanted to scream, wail and beat her fists. Mostly, she just wanted throw up. She nearly did when the harsh ring of her doorbell cut her short. Teal almost fired a shot. She still didn't move. She wasn't going to move, like she hadn't for the past hour. 

Then her doorbell rang again, sounding shriller than the first time.

_"Teal, it's me. Cesar."_

Her heart leaped at the familiar voice and she rushed to the door, throwing it open and pulling him into a fierce hug. " _Thank you, Father God…_ "

Cesar quietly returned her embrace. "Cuchillos is dead," he said after a beat.

Her stomach rolled at the mention of the heiress' name. "You okay?"

"Yeah, I guess."

When Teal finally got a good look of him, it was like he aged 10 years since the last time she saw him. It might as well have been his brother standing here before her. In this very moment, he was an exact replica of him. "Oscar… Is he…?" She may have hated the Santos leader, but she needed to know so she could return to moving numbly through life.

"We don't know where he is," Cesar answered with a frown. "I still have his phone. But mine's dead."

"Where are the rest of you?"

"Headed home. I just thought it would be better to tell you all this in person rather than in some random text."

"Fair." She reached up and brushed something out of his hair. "Alright, inside. You're staying here until you hear from brother. You can even raid my fridge."

Cesar appeared a bit hesitant as he considered her offer. 

"Boy, come on." Teal ushered the traumatized teen inside, and then locked and double-bolted the door. "Listen, I hope you know that what's goin' on between me and Oscar is just between me and Oscar. I am in no way blaming you. He's your blood, you gotta protect him. I get that." She calmly put her aunt's shotgun back in its cabinet. "I'm not mad at you, so don't be mad at Monse. I deserve to know, don't I? I mean, am I wrong for feeling the way I do?"

"No." He shook his head, tucking his hands into his pockets. "You're not. I just… I don't like seeing you guys fight. And I can't help but feel like it's my fault. _Again."_

"Cesar, go and eat. Please." She gently nudged him in the direction of the kitchen. "Take off your backpack. Chill out. My issue's with your brother, not with you. Okay?"

As Teal said this, her cell phone started ringing from the living room. 

"Uh, just help yourself." She went to answered it and found her Android buried deep between the couch cushions. She checked the screen.

**Incoming call**

**Ruby Martinez**

Strange. He never calls her. They weren't close like that. She tapped the answer button then brought her phone up to her ear. "¿Hola, Ruby…?"

_"You still in Freeridge?"_

It wasn't Ruby.

Suddenly, relief fell over her. The son of a bitch made it. "Yes, unfortunately. Your brother is here, too. His phone's dead, though." Her voice quaked a little. "H-Hold on, I'll get 'im for you—"

_"So how long you planning on staying pissed at me for?"_

Teal's fingers twitched as she tried to keep herself grounded. "I'm handing the phone over to Cesar now." She made it to the kitchen in two long strides. The boy in question was standing by the microwave, waiting on a large plate of her leftover fried dumplings. "Ah, it's better if you had warmed those in the oven."

She heard Oscar suck a breath through his teeth. _"Just bring him to the crib,"_ he gritted. _"I'll be there when you get there,"_ and then the line disconnected. She was pretty much used to him doing that.

"Was that Oscar?" Cesar's face lit up and he looked a lot like himself again. "Did he say where he is?"

"He called from Ruby's phone. I'm assuming he's over there. Anyway, once you're done I'll drop you home. So, take your time. No rush."

"Are _you_ okay?"

Teal shrugged. "Can't tell you when I'll ever be able to answer that question." She rubbed her eyes, drew a deep breath and released it slowly. "Eat up, Papa. If you want more, take more. I doubt I'll have much of an appetite going forward."

* * *

_"… Police say the college students were speeding westbound on Vermont Avenue when they blew through a red light and hit the Chevrolet Malibu. The 24-year-old woman and her young passenger were injured in the collision and rushed to Freeridge Memorial Hospital with multiple injuries. At this time, the status of their condition remains unknown. But our thoughts and prayers are with them and their families."_

Oscar didn't put two and two together until Jamal showed up at his crib the next afternoon. 

He couldn't wrap his head around it. He thought Teal had kept Cesar with her anyway. He didn't expect this shit to happen to them. If it wasn't one thing it was the fucking other. So much for 'laying low'.

Oscar was seething as he followed Jamal into the crowded waiting room. It smelled like piss, perfume, disinfectant and other things he couldn't identify. And he didn't miss the nervous stares in his direction. Monse was sitting in a corner by herself with her legs stretched out across four empty seats. She noticed them and immediately got to her feet.

"Finally! They won't give us any information on Cesar or Teal 'cos we're not immediate family." She rounded on him. "And Mrs. Ruiz isn't gonna be here for another 2 hours. Can't you find something out?"

"Where's Ruby?" asked Jamal, surveying the room for their shorter friend.

"Him and Jasmine went to go find a vending machine. He needed a minute," Monse added in a hushed voice.

Jamal's head bobbed in understanding.

Oscar was in desperate need of a smoke, and another drink to wash all it all down. Maybe then he could get rid of the sick feeling in his gut. A part of him wanted to laugh. He never felt more 'cursed' than he did right now.

Tightening his fists, he stalked toward the reception desk where an old nurse sat behind a computer. He heard the wail of an approaching siren, then the commotion of the trauma team bringing a patient through the nearby ambulance bay. "Can I help you?" The triage nurse said, eyeing his marred appearance.

"Cesar Diaz and Teal Silvera, which rooms are they in?"

"Are you… a family member?"

Oscar was beginning to lose his patience. "He's my little brother and she's my _wife_." Very rarely did he say that out loud. It was probably the second time he did. "They were in the accident on Vermont last night and were brought here."

"And your name?"

"Oscar Diaz."

"Okay..." Her fingers clicked across the keyboard. "Well, your wife is still in surgery, and your brother is in for a CT scan now."

"How much longer till I can I see 'em?" he bit back.

"I'm sorry, sir. It's hard to say. But I've signed you in, so have a seat in the waiting room. The doctor will update you on their condition as soon as they know something."

* * *

Mrs. Ruiz has hated Oscar ever since he was 11 years old.

He and some homies back in the day egged her house that Halloween. He broke a window. He didn't care. He'd just found his father left. He wanted to fuck shit up, and Sad Eyes dared him to. His mother never let him hear the end of it when she had to pony up the cash for the repairs.

" _Eres_ _tú. Siempre eres tú_ _._ _¡_ _Cada_ _vez que mi sobrina consigue herida es por ti!_ "

It was the truth. Oscar couldn't deny it. Didn't mean he wanted to hear that shit. 

Fuck it. 

He was gonna have that smoke. Mrs. Ruiz was giving him a fucking headache. The _vieja bruja_ hadn't stopped riding his ass since the moment she got to the hospital. He needed some air and some time to get his head in order.

Oscar stared down his nose at the older Afro-Latina, his scowl deepening and pulling at the edges of where Cuchillos had brought down her knife. "In case you forgot, I got someone in there too."

"Mi nuh know _what_ it is she sees in yuh."

"Hey, guys?" Monse interrupted. "I think the doctor's coming."

They all turned their attention to a man in a white coat with a stethoscope hanging around his neck. Oscar steeled himself as he came up to them. "Thank you all for your patience. Family of Mr. Diaz and Ms. Silvera, I presume?"

"Yes." Mrs. Ruiz stepped forward. "I'm Teal's auntie. How-how she doin'? Is she gonna be alright?"

"Perhaps it would be better if we talked in private—"

"Whatever it is you gotta say, you can say it right here," Oscar interposed. "Are she and my brother _alright_?" If they weren't, he wasn't sure how he would stomach it.

The doctor pulled out the orange file folder that was underneath his arm. He opened it and cleared his throat before continuing. "Right. Yes, they're both stable. But they have a number of injuries. The good news is their CT scans are normal. There is no brain trauma that we've detected, no bleeding or damage to their internal organs. It's a good thing they were wearing their seat belts and that the car had airbags." He turned to Mrs. Ruiz first. "Your niece Teal arrived here unconscious and had to undergo surgery for a broken collarbone on her left side. We inserted a metal plate and 7 screws to keep the bones stabilized while healing. She will need a brace for the next 8 weeks minimum."

Oscar felt a muscle start to pulse at his temple.

"She also suffered a cracked rib and a scaphoid fracture in her right wrist, as well as some cuts and bruises. It was her side of the vehicle that took majority of the impact. Needless to say, it's a miracle she survived at all."

" _Oh, Jesus, oh God…_ " Mrs. Ruiz began mumbling over and over again. 

"What about Cesar?" Ruby spoke up, his hand clutched tightly between Jasmine's.

The blood roared in Oscar's ears as the doctor's eyes landed on him. "Your brother did sustain a mild concussion and bruised ribs during the collision. He also needed 10 stitches for a laceration on the right side of his head. But he was coherent and alert, and talking to the paramedics."

The ex-Santos leader swallowed the knot forming in his throat. "Can we see 'em now?" He managed to keep his words steady.

"Unfortunately, they'll be in recovery for another couple of hours before they can see anyone," the doctor replied. "You're more than welcome to come back tomorrow morning. Our visiting hours begin at 11."

Everyone except Oscar looked at one another in silence. He wasn't happy with the idea, leaving his little brother alone in this place. And Teal… She didn't sign up for any of this shit.

"I assure you folks, they're in good hands. We will do everything to make their stay here comfortable."

Still, that didn't stop the rage from creeping back up his neck.

* * *

**Howdy!**

**I'm bored, I like On My Block, and so I write. Hope that's cool. I'm also still learning Spanish, so if I mess up on a verb or something, please let me know! And I have Jamaican roots, so some Patois will be sprinkled throughout this story as well.**

**Okay bye!**

**Love, Peace, and Tranquility.**


	2. Chapter One: The Open Man

Disclaimer: I do not own the On My Block series or any of the characters from it. I do, however, own the plot and characters you don't recognize.

* * *

Oscar barely slept that night. The crib was always too quiet whenever his brother wasn't there. The silence left him too free to ponder his fucked up life. The missed opportunities, the collapse of his dreams, the violence and all the resentment he was left with. At 23, he thought he'd be something more. How naive of him. There was no such damn thing as 'more' in Freeridge.

Some hours later, he pulled into the hospital parking lot with an unlit cigarette already between his teeth. He figured it was still early enough for him to chill out. Killing the engine, he left the radio on low before grabbing his lighter and lighting up his cigarette. Oscar inhaled deeply. It always felt good, dragging the smoke down deep—holding it, tasting it, then letting go.

_'I can't believe I fell for it… You've never given a damn about me…'_

Too bad it wasn't that easy when it came to Teal. Women like her were meant to get out of here and do good things. Change the world type of shit. Now he's fucked up her life too. Oscar tried not to dwell on it while he flicked some ash out of his window. 

He just pushed it all down. Buried it. And saved it for another day.

* * *

"Your wife is in room 109, and your brother is in room 113."

Oscar went to see Cesar first. He wasn't ready to face Teal yet. What the fuck was he supposed to say to her anyway? I'm sorry? He didn't do 'sorry'. He learned a long time ago that apologies don't make shit better—not the ones from him, at least.

The walk was short, and a few minutes brought him to a small private room. Inside, Cesar was propped up in the hospital bed watching the TV on the wall. He wasn't in too bad of shape for what he'd been through. Oscar had to admit his little brother was tougher than he gave him credit for. "Look at you, living the good life," he couldn't help but chuckle. Deep down he knew this was only possible because of Teal.

Cesar turned his head, a slight smile on his face. "You look like hell."

"That's what I get for saving your ass again."

The small smile disappeared. Shame replaced it. "…I know. You're always having to bail me out," Cesar said. "Oscar… I'm sorry for what I said to you before, how I acted. I was angry about Ray and I—"

"It's all good." Moving closer, Oscar carefully put his hand on his brother's shoulder. "You're alive. That's all that matters." 

"But still… I thought I wouldn't get to say thank you for everything you've done for me."

Tears burned behind Oscar's eyes. He steered them away before Cesar could see. He could've done better. He could've done more, like Teal tried to do. Instead, he put him on a forced march through hell. "I told you I'd do anything for you, _mano_. So we're good." After a moment, Oscar felt him start to slowly relax.

"What happens now? What about 19th Street?"

"Don't worry about that now. Just focus on gettin' outta here."

Cesar blinked hard. "Shit. _Teal_. Where's Teal? Is she okay? Did you see her yet?" he asked him anxiously. "She was hurt pretty bad in the accident. Oscar, tell me she's okay!"

"Yo, chill out." Oscar forced Cesar back against the pillows. "I'mma check up on her later. Her aunt's probably with her now. And I don't fucking need her shit today." Releasing him, he grabbed one of the guest chairs and pulled it closer to the bed before taking a seat. "Teal's fine for the most part. They did surgery on her collar bone. They put a metal plate and some screws in it to keep it together. She has to wear a brace and shit for a while. One of her wrists is fucked up too. Doc said she's lucky to be alive." 

His brother frowned as he fully lay back. "Everything happened fast. I think she saw the other car before I did. She tried to cover me but..." He shook his head. "I thought she was dead."

"What happened to the _hijos de puta_ who caused the shit?" Oscar felt the rage start to build up inside him again. Why her? Why was it always them? He clenched his fist on the arm of the chair. 

"I don't know. I didn't care what happened to them. I called 911 to save Teal. The cops showed up first. I had to give a statement, but I stayed with her until the ambulance came."

He could only nod, too angry to speak. He wanted to track those assholes down and put a bullet in their heads. He couldn't though, because that wasn't him anymore. All that shit was supposed to be behind him now.

"Hey, would it be okay if I called Dad?" Cesar's tentative question broke through his thoughts. "He has a phone now. He made it to Bakersfield okay. We've talked a few times—"

"You tell him anything about Cuchillos and what we were up to?"

"No, I didn't go into any details. I just wanna let him know we're okay."

Oscar wasn't sure how to feel about his father, even after knowing the truth. He was so used to hating Ray—despising him for leaving them—that he didn't know how to forgive him or where to start. "You still got my phone?"

Cesar tilted his chin toward to the small table on the other side of him. "It's in that bag. I had to use it to call 911 since mine was dead."

As Oscar pushed himself out of the chair, there was a light knock at the door. It opened slightly and Monse poked her head inside. "Hey." She gave them a little wave as she entered the room. 

Oscar was already on the opposite side when she addressed just him this time: 

"Spooky,"—that name also needed to be buried in the past—"Mrs. Ruiz is looking for you."

"Teal's awake?" His heart lurched out of rhythm. 

"Yeah, but she's still kinda out of it. She doesn't even remember what happened."

"She's lucky," Cesar muttered. "But at least she's alive."

He couldn't agree with his brother more.

* * *

When Teal came to, all she wanted was that stupid beeping to stop. Everything hurt. It hurt to breath. It hurt to think. It felt like her ribcage was on fire. She couldn't move anything or make sense of where she was. It did feel like she was lying in a bed, but whose bed was it? Thinking she was alone, she opened her mouth to let out a groan of agony.

At that, there was a rustling nearby, like someone crossing their legs or moving around in a chair. Her drowsy eyes struggled open and she strained to focus through light blinding her sight. "Tealy?" It was a blob… No, a person—a woman, with a crown of long locs and warm brown eyes. " _Thank you, Jesus. Praise God,_ " her Auntie Amara rejoiced. "You had me so worried."

"That makes two of us." Monse's curly head appeared from behind her auntie's shoulder.

Teal took a moment to look around the room. So she was in a bed, a hospital bed, hooked up to IVs and a heart monitor machine. There was also a blue cast on her right arm, while her left was bandaged securely against her chest. What happened to her? How did she end up in the hospital? "What did I do?" she croaked, her voice crawling out of her lips.

"What's the last thing you remember?" Monse asked. 

"I…" It was like her brain was starting to liquefy inside her skull, but soon she found a memory much more painful. Oscar's long-awaited admission, his betrayal, and all that time she wasted hoping something would change. Teal swiftly forced it all away. "I don't… I don't know. Just tell me what happened."

"You meet inna accident yesterday night, you and Cesar," Auntie Amara revealed. "Some dickheads ran through di red light and rammed right into unu. Dem coulda killed you."

All Teal heard was "Cesar…?" The heart monitor jumped as realization dawned on her. As if that boy hasn't already been through enough.

Her auntie was quick to calm her down. "It's alright, Baby Love. Him alright. His room's right down dah hall."

"Yeah, Cesar's fine, really," Monse also reassured her. "He just has a mild concussion and some bruised ribs. He's good. He'll survive."

"Well, I guess I don't have much of a choice but to take your word for it. What about my car? Did it make it?" Neither of them had an answer to give, which wasn't a good sign. She saved for that car for years. Teal sighed at the idea of having to start all over again. "Life blows."

"You should give God thanks dat you're still here," Auntie Amara chided her with a click of her tongue.

"I did, and life still sucks. Monse, can you check on Cesar for me, please? You can just text me… I think I had my phone on me?"

"No problem. I'm probably gonna hang out with him until the rest of the crew get here."

"And if Oscar ova deh, tell him I'm lookin' for him."

Teal squeezed her eyes shut in exasperation. Oscar was the last person she wanted to see. What could her aunt possibly want with him? She hated him like a dose of poison.

"Okay. And I'll let the guys know you're awake." She opened her eyes again and Monse gave her a closed-lipped smile. "See you later."

She watched her go before her Auntie Amara moved to sit in the chair next to the bed. "Emilio wishes you a fast recovery, and said if dere's anything you need just let him know."

Emilio Zapatero was one of the nicest men you'll ever meet. She wouldn't have been able to stay in Freeridge if it hadn't been for him. Auntie Amara met him at grief support group after her father died of Leukemia. Emilio had lost his wife to Melanoma some years ago. They became good friends and her auntie would go on and on about him.

Back in San Diego, everyone within their little community loved and respected him. He came from money, lots of it, but he was the farthest thing from selfish. He had a heart of gold, Auntie Amara would always say. Then, after a little while, they decided to quietly remarry. 

In a way, Teal envied her aunt. She got the fairy tale ending she secretly wanted. "No, he's already done enough for me. Tell him I said thank you, though—" 

Before she could get another word out, Oscar came through the door. Cuchillos must have put up one helluva good fight. He looked worse than the day he was jumped into the Santos, and it took a while for the ugly shades of yellow and purple to completely fade. Her heart broke for him again and again. He had so many things he wanted to accomplish. He dreamt big in a way no one could have imagined.

But that was then, and this was now, and him being here wasn't going to change her mind. She was delusional for ever thinking their 'marriage' would blossom into something more meaningful. 5 years, and everything changed yet remained the same. Teal was tired of it. Sick and tired. Oscar took up too much valuable real estate in her head.

_'I'm sorry, Sandra. I tried my best.'_

* * *

The moment Oscar saw her, uncomfortable chills shot down his spine. He thought he had prepared himself enough to at least look at Teal, but her lying in that hospital bed was really fucking him up. If he hadn't told her to bring Cesar home, she wouldn't have been driving and they wouldn't have gotten hit. 

"Good morning, Oscar."

He acknowledged Mrs. Ruiz with a short dip of his head while Teal turned her face away from him. 

"You can sit, if you want."

"I'm good." Oscar had no intention of staying after this. His 'wife' made it pretty clear that she didn't want him around.

"Suit yourself," Mrs. Ruiz sighed, flattening out her skirt. "The reason why I called you here is to tell you that my husband will pay for Cesar's hospital bill."

"Why?" he and Teal said at the same time. She didn't look too good when she turned back around.

"My insurance covers both of us," she went on. "We should be fine. Whatever the balance is, I'll take care of it. Auntie, I'm alright."

"See, and dat's your problem. It shouldn't be _you_ payin' fer it. Cesar stopped being your responsibility the moment dis bwoy came outta prison." Mrs. Ruiz pointed a long, sharp fingernail at him. "But yuh nuh listen. And now look, yuh end up inna hospital. After I keep tellin' yuh fi tap fast inna odda people business."

Oscar's annoyance flared into anger, and he interjected before she could talk anymore shit, "We don't need your husband's money. We're good. Whatever's not covered, I'll handle it. I wasn't planning on putting all that on Teal anyway." He had the RollerWorld money. He just had to be extremely smart about it.

All of sudden, Teal's face screwed up and her body shivered and shook. "Ah, please… stop. Just stop," she moaned through her teeth. She looked like she was about to be sick. "Yup, I'm… gonna puke."

Mrs. Ruiz rushed to grab the small garbage can next to the bed. She held it up to Teal and directed her head over it. The sounds of her throwing up made his stomach tighten with guilt. Oscar decided he had had enough. "I'm gonna get a doctor," and then he was gonna get the fuck outta here.

Mrs. Ruiz waved him off. Not once did Oscar look back at them. He was too damn ashamed of himself for pussying out.

* * *

**Hey guys!**

**I'm glad so many of you enjoyed the prologue. Thank you so much for reading! :)**

**Updates will be slow. I am an essential worker, but I'm fortunate enough to be able to work from home. I haven't really left my apartment (aside from the essential trips to the grocery store) in over 2 months lol.**

* * *

**Oh, and here's a Jamaican Patois dictionary if anyone is interested – Jamaican Patois is basically Jamaican English:**

**Deh/di - the  
Dem – them  
Unu– like saying 'you two or you guys'  
Bwoy - boy  
Yuh nuh listen – you don't listen  
Fi – 'to' – in that context at least  
Tap - stop  
Fast – in the way Mrs. Ruiz used it, it means 'you're being nosey'  
Odda – other**

**I'll add more to this as the story progresses.**

* * *

**Thank you again for stopping by!**

**Love, Peace, and Tranquility.**


	3. Chapter Two: The Unborn Son of the Wild

Disclaimer: I do not own the On My Block series or any of the characters from it. I do, however, own the plot and characters you don't recognize.

* * *

His feet left deep footprints in the sand as he walked along the empty beach.

One thing Oscar liked about this place _—_ not a lot of people knew about it. The first time he'd seen it was when he was being transferred from L.A. County to Corcoran. It was here where he felt calmest, at peace, listening to the waves breaking along the shoreline. It helped to drown out some of the bullshit going on inside his head. 

Reaching his usual spot up top, Oscar retrieved the spliff he'd tucked behind his ear. He lit it up, took a few long tokes, and held the smoke as he sat down on the hill. When he let it out, he looked across the water and thought about Cesar.

The hospital was releasing him tomorrow morning. The doctor said he would have to be monitored over the next few days. Oscar had to be on the lookout for any signs of 'delayed complications'. He considered staying with Cesar overnight, but Monse had already made it clear she wasn't leaving his little brother's side. He always respected her for her fierce loyalty, and for that reason, he let it be. Besides, he didn't have half the energy he needed to argue with her. Mrs. Ruiz could deal with her.

Oscar took another hit from his spliff and welcomed the rush in his body. He tapped off some of the ash and watched it disappear on the breeze. As much as he tried not to, his mind started drifting back to Teal. He couldn't forget the pain on her face and how it filled her eyes. He didn't want to think about her; it stung when he did. He didn't want to think about _anything_. He was just trying to enjoy his high.

Sliding his phone out of his pocket, Oscar scrolled through his contacts until he found who he was looking for. He stared at her name for what felt like a long ass time. He was well aware he shouldn't do it. He shouldn't have done a lot of things with her. He was fucked up to even look her way to begin with. But the damage was already done, and he needed the distraction. So he hit the call button and waited for Leti to answer.

After a few rings, she finally did. _"Thought you forgot about me."_ She sounded like she'd been running, but Oscar could still hear her smile. Leti was a chill hyna to kick it with. She liked sports and classic old school cars. 

"You good?" he greeted lazily.

 _"Mm-hmm. Just finished beatin' my sobrino in a game of 21—_ _ay, pobrecito bebé! Lo que sea, chamaco! So, Spooky, what'chu been up to? I haven't heard from you in a minute."_

"Yeah… Feels like I don't gotta lotta free time these days."

_"I hear that. But I bet you're not stuck babysitting your sister's kids on your day off."_

Oscar finished his spliff and then buried the roach in the sand. "Nah, I'm chillin' at the beach." What happened over the last few days wasn't her problem. And he wasn't going to spill his guts to her just because he was still feeling like shit. "I'm the only one out here. It's quiet."

Leti hummed approvingly. _"Too bad I'm not there with you. I haven't been to the beach in sooo long. I'm starting to forget what it looks like."_

"You ain't missing much."

_"Easy for you to say, ese. You get to enjoy the view."_

He smiled a little.

_"You know what else I'm starting to forget?"_

"What?"

_"What you look like. It feels like a long time ago we were on our way to Vegas. Ay, 'member when you took that shortcut and we ended up gettin' lost for an hour? We had a lot of fun, didn't we?"_

Oscar could see where this conversation was headed. A second time wouldn't be worth it to him. He had too much shit to clean up. The biggest thing being that he somehow had to make things right with the ones he hurt.

He started to shut Leti down when the call-waiting beep interrupted him. He checked to see who it was. Benito. His primo on his mom's side. He and Teal had gotten close while he was locked up. His cousin was there for her and Cesar in a way Oscar couldn't be. "Hey, someone's on the other line. I gotta take this."

Leti made a soft noise of disappointment. _"Awh._ _¿_ _Hablamos luego?"_

"Yeah," he lied without hesitation. 

_"Alright, Spooky. Lata."_

Oscar switched over to Benito. _"_ _¿_ _Qué onda?_ " 

_"Hey, cabrón! Teal and Cesar are in the hospital? Why am I hearin' this from Sad Eyes and not from you, puto?"_

"Chill the fuck out," Oscar warned him. "Cesar had my phone. I just got it back from him today. They're fine. Cesar's gettin' out tomorrow."

His cousin swore with relief. _"Okay. That's good. That's good news. What about Teal?"_

Oscar didn't stay long enough to find out. "I don't know yet." He tipped his head back and stared up at the clouds skittering across the sky.

* * *

 ** _10 years ago_** …

_They met on a warm night in June at the first summer festival in Freeridge Park._

_He wanted to get Cesar out of the house and as far away from their mom as he could. She was back on that shit again after promising him she'd get clean. She swore on his Cesar's **life** that she would, and Oscar wasn't taking any chances that day. Or at least, so he thought before he lost his little brother in the crowd. _

_Not a lot of things scared Oscar, he could hold his own. But the second he noticed Cesar was gone, he wanted to die. He called his name, he asked anyone around if they'd seen him, and nobody gave him anything useful. He already lost his damn father. He wasn't about to lose his baby brother, too._

_As Oscar circled back to the last place they were, something told him to look to his left. Then he saw Cesar not too far from him. He was near the churro booth holding the hand of a negrita about his age. Her smile was the first thing that drew him in, and then his feet followed._

_She was even prettier up close and dressed nice. Too nice to belong here. She had dark eyes, full lips, and long, thick braids that framed her face. "Hi, this guy yours?"_

_Her voice was softer than Oscar assumed. It was deep for a girl's, yet smooth like sweet cream. It made the hair on his arms stand on end. "Yeah, he's my brother. We got separated. Thanks." He cleared his throat, feeling somewhat uncomfortable.  
_

_"Oh, no worries. He kinda made friends with my sister. We gave him some fries and something to drink. I hope that was okay. We weren't sure how long he'd been alone for."_

_"I don't got any money to pay you back," Oscar responded. He didn't expect her to do all that. He couldn't say he wasn't humbled by their kindness._

_"It's fine. We don't mind at all. He's a really cute kid." Her silver bracelets chimed together as she led Cesar back to him. "But you had lots of fun with me and Zada, right?"_

_"Yeah!" Cesar grinned widely. "Oscar, can we come back tomorrow?"_

_"Wait, Oscar?" The negrita's expression changed from friendly to thoughtful. She said his name again like she was tasting it. "Oscar_ … _You're not the same Oscar who broke my auntie's window last Halloween, are you?"_

_His mouth formed into a small frown as he shuffled on the spot. "Shit, Mrs. Ruiz is your aunt?"_

_"Technically, half-aunt," she replied, unfazed by his inadvertent confession. "But it's nice putting a name to a face."_

_"Oscar, are we coming back tomorrow?" Cesar bugged him again. "Her sister lemme play her Nintendo DS, and she got Mario Kart!"_

_"We can't. This thing's only for one night." If he could stay here all night, he would._

_"And we're flying back home tomorrow morning," the negrita told them regrettably._

_Oscar's interest piqued further. "You're not from Freeridge?" The more she talked, the more he noticed she had somewhat of an accent._

_"Not Freeridge, exactly. I was actually born in Brentwood. But my family moved to Toronto—_ _Canada—_ _when I was, like, 4. My aunt's here, so we try to visit her every summer."_

 _"Toronto_ _…_ _" he nodded, taking it all in. "You guys are the Raptors, right?" It was the only way he knew about the Canadian city._

 _"Uh-huh, and that's as far as my basketball knowledge goes—_ _"_

_"Tealianne!"_

_She turned in the direction of the voice and waved to a man up ahead. "Coming!" Then she gave them a sad smile that didn't fit her face. "That's my dad, I gotta go. But it was nice meeting you guys. Maybe we'll see each other again soon, who knows…"_

* * *

Oscar didn't realize he'd fallen asleep in his car until the sun woke him up the next morning. The last thing he remembered was backing into the driveway and resting his eyes for what he thought would only be a minute. His neck was stiff, especially on the left side. With a groan, he massaged the sore spot as he dug out his phone. 

7 missed calls and 5 messages from Cesar.

"Fuck," Oscar muttered when he saw the actual time. It was the middle of the afternoon. He told him he would be at the hospital right at 11. Tiredly, he redialed his brother's number. "I'm on my way. Gimme half _—_ "

Cesar quickly cut him off, _"Did you get my texts?"_

He frowned at the underlying panic in his words. He couldn't wait for the day where he would get normal phone calls. "¿ _Qu_ _é_ _tienes_?" Oscar demanded.

_"Something's wrong with Teal."_

"What do you mean? What else's wrong with her?"

 _"She can't remember us_."

Someone up there must really enjoy fucking with him.

* * *

**Cesar // 2:40pm _  
Cops are here. They went into Teal's room._**

Oscar wasn't worried about them. He doubted they were there for any other reason other than the accident. He was still confident that nothing he's done could be linked back to him. He'd made sure of it. Nobody was going down for anything.

The hospital was just as crowded as before when Oscar trudged in. It was a different woman behind the receptionist desk this time. He signed in, ignoring the concerned glance she spared his way, and then he headed to see his brother. Once he turned the corner he saw the officers talking to Mrs. Ruiz outside of Teal's room. Unfortunately for him, she noticed him before he could disappear into Cesar's.

"See her husband 'ere." She always sounded disappointed whenever she had to address him as such. She never failed to remind Teal that she could do better. Oscar swallowed his irritation and stiffly made his way over to them. He couldn't afford to blow up here with all the eyes trained on him. 

"You're Cesar's brother, right?"

He recognized the officer questioning him. He'd seen him around Cuchillos before. And judging by his missing fingers, he must've owed her a lot of money. "What happened to the assholes who did this to my family?" 

"Dey're not suffering inna di _rassclaat_ hospital, dat's what happened to dem!" Mrs. Ruiz exclaimed. "My niece can barely rememba her own name! And you're telling me dat those lykkle _pussyholes_ get to walk away just fine?"

"Look, ma'am, I understand you're upset—"

"I am _way_ beyond upset, Officer Hammel! They could've killed my niece. And they could've killed a _child_. So you tell those people that they will be hearing from our lawyer. We are going to sue them for _everything_ they're worth!"

Beating them within an inch of their lives would've satisfied Oscar more. Every minute they were still breathing was a minute that had him pissed. He looked at Teal's closed door, feeling his heart in his stomach. At some point he knew he couldn't avoid her anymore.

* * *

 **Life's been stressful as hell these last few months. Customer service… I don't know how I'm still doing it lol. But I've been working on this chapter for a while and I just got it the way I want it. I hope you enjoy it** **:-)** **.**

**Thank you again for stopping by!**

**Hang in there, guys <3**

**Love, Peace, and Tranquility.**


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